Daria Neklesa

Commuters were experiencing long delays travelling Northbound on the M6 today after a trailer fire led to the closure of the motorway last night.

All lanes have since reopened following resurfacing work between junction 31a (Longridge) and 32 (Broughton Interchange), which was completed at around 3.30pm.

Five fire crews attended the scene yesterday evening and were met with an intense fire made up of exploding aerosols and tins.

Watch Manager Mark Woodward said: "We could hear and see the intensity of the fire as we approached along the M6. Tins and aerosols were flying all over the highway. Thankfully the swift closure of the motorway by the police meant that no drivers were injured.

"This was an extremely hazardous fire and thankfully our training provided us with the skills and experience to handle it. The driver of the HGV did well to remove the cabin from the trailer to prevent the fire from spreading.

"It was a well coordinated response between the police, fire crews and the recovery services which ensured that no members of the public were injured."

The M6 returning to normal as resurfacing work nears completion.

Chief Inspector Damian Kitchen, of Lancashire Police, said: “We appreciate the frustration this sort of incident can cause motorists and we appreciate the understanding and co-operation of those who are caught up in it. Our partner agencies are working hard with our assistance to get the motorway open again as soon as possible.

“I would urge drivers at this time to avoid the area if they haven’t already set off but if you are stuck in these delays and need emergency assistance then please call 999 as we have contingency plans in place to be able to get to you.

“I would also ask for people not to call us to alert us to the delays as we are already aware and our call handlers are busy dealing with other calls.”